Seesaw.



PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905.

B. D. SMITH.

SEESAW.

APPLIOATIOR FILED FEB.9. 1905.

qvi/lmeoam M WM MM UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SEESAW.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed February 9,1905. Serial No. 244,959. i

To all whom/ it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, EDWIN D. SMITH, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Seesaws, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in seesaws, the object being to provide a portable seesaw capable of being easily and quickly converted into a slide or folded into comparatively small compass for storage or shipment, and the special feature of the. improvement comprises a seesaw in which seats or saddles are provided at each end, which seats or saddles are maintained in a horizontal position regardless of the inclination of the seesaw.

With these objects in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, which will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the .claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved seesaw, the full lines indicating the position when used as a slide and the dotted lines one of the seesaw positions and another set of dotted lines in folding position for storage and shipment;

and Fig. 2 is a rear view of one of the seats.

A represents the center post, preferably erected from the center of a base B, and this base has a cut-away portion 1 on its lower edge, and the member 2 is adapted to be folded into this space when the seesaw is collapsed, as indicated in dotted lines, or swung at right angles, as shown in the full lines, when in use to extend the base laterally. Hasps 3 3 are provided, they being hinged to the section 2 for securing it to the post when in operative position, staples 4 4: being provided therefor. When folded, the hasps are folded and take position in the recesses 5 5, provided therefor.

Two boards 6 and 7 one of which may be a brace, are pivotally supported on the posts at points 8 and 9, respectively, and the seats 10 10 are hinged to the outer end of these boards or board and brace, as at 11 11 and 12 12, the latter hinges being in the form of hasps, which are secured to the staples 13 13 when the seats are in use and which hasps admit of the seats being folded under for storage and shipment,

- as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. When thus folded under, the hasps are secured to the outer staples 14 1 1, thus holding them in place.

When used as a slide, one end of the seesaw is pulled down and the hinged section 15 of the base is swung upward, as shown in the full lines in Fig. 1, and the hasp 16 is swung over a staple 18 to hold the seesaw in place. When in this position. the seesaw is held firmly and may be used for sliding purposes, and the seesaw may be converted into a slide or back again in a fraction of a minute, as it is simply necessary to either fasten or unfasten the hasp 16, as the case may be. Small pins 19 19, attached by means of chains 20 20, are employed for fastening the hasps to the staples.

Theseats are preferably hollow, not only to make them light, but more especially to afford a receptacle for flat-irons or any other convenient weights for compensating for disparity in weights of the two people using the seesaw, and to gain access openings 21 are provided in the side of each seat. I

To give a general ideaof the dimensions, I prefer to make the seesaw about four feet long by two feet in height and, say, about nine inches in width. This makes a comparatively small and light seesaw, easy to carry from place to place and not requiring a great deal of room.

of course the dimensions form no part of the invention and are subject to an indefinite amount of variation, and it is evident that slight changes might be resorted to in the form and. arrangement of the several parts described without departure from the spirit and scope of my invention, and hence I do not wish to be limited to the precise details described; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. A seesaw comprisinga base, a post erected therefrom, boards pivotally supported on the post, seats hinged to the ends of the boards, and means connected with the base for securing one end of the seesaw in its lowered position whereby the seesaw is held stationary and converted into a slide.

2. A seesaw comprisinga base, a post erected therefrom, boards pivotally supported on the post, seats hinged to the ends of the boards, and means connected with the base for securing oneend of the seesaw in its lowered position whereby the seesaw is held stationary and converted into a slide, said means consisting of a hinged section of the base and a fastening device thereon for attachment to the seesaw whereby to hold it in position.

IIO

upright position, boards, a post upon which the boards are pivotally supported, seats hinged to the boards, and means on the hinged section of the base for securing it to the base or to one of the seats.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDWIN D. SMITH. Witnesses:

A. J. PETRIE, W. A. HEMPHILL. 

